FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jason Bartlett wasn't surprised to read Saturday that right-hander Matt Garza had turned down a three-year, $42 million offer from the Twins.

Bartlett, the veteran infielder, had been trying all winter to recruit his former Twins and Tampa Bay Rays teammate to join him in the Twin Cities.

"I talked to him the whole time," Bartlett said Sunday. "I was trying to get him to come here. I told him, 'We've been hanging out together our whole careers. Come over here. It's different here. You'll be like the veteran guy here. We need to make this clubhouse loose.' "

What was Garza's reaction to that sales pitch?

"He was like, 'I'll see what my agent does,' " Bartlett said.

Nez Balelo, who also represents Phil Hughes and Trevor Plouffe, eventually cut a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that guarantees Garza $50 million over the next four seasons. There's also a fifth-year vesting option and performance bonuses that could boost the total value to $67 million.

That deal, however, includes $2 million per season in deferred salary. The Twins' offer, according to a person with direct knowledge, carried no deferrals and had a fourth-year vesting option for $14 million that could have boosted the total value to $56 million.

A second person with direct knowledge said the Twins remained in the mix for Garza until the day he signed with Milwaukee: Jan. 26, which also happened to be the final day of TwinsFest.

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"Garza's the kind of guy who of just stays out of it and lets his agent deal with it," Bartlett said. "It just sounded like he wanted the years and a little more money. I think that was the thing with him was the years."

Bartlett, who re-signed with the Twins on the same day Joe Mauer announced his move to first base (Nov. 11), thought all along that Garza would wind up signing with the Los Angeles Angels. The former Fresno State star has acknowledged receiving a four-year offer from the Angels in mid-December, but the offer was pulled before he could make a decision.

"Like a lot of the guys, it sounded like they held out trying to get more and it didn't happen," Bartlett said. "I'm sure if he could rewind, maybe he might make a different decision. I know he would have loved to play in Anaheim because he's from California."

Bartlett, staying in close contact with his ex-teammate, was aware of the Angels' offer being pulled soon after it happened.

"I didn't know how quick, but I knew that," Bartlett said. "That's where I thought he was going."

The Twins and Brewers play their annual interleague home-and-home series from June 2 through June 5.